The Arrival
Here in China they have had this car for nearly a year. Not us. The rest of the world had to wait. Now that the US celebrates its 250th birthday Tesla is dropping the Model Y L onto our shores. Just in time. Or maybe just for show. It does not matter. It is here.
You cannot buy this cheap. The only option right now is the Launch Series trim. Specifically the Model Y L Premium Long Wheel Base All Wheel Drive. It costs $61,9990 to start. Wait. Let me recheck that. No. Sixty-one thousand. Nine hundred ninety dollars.
That is not a typo. It is expensive.
Look at the standard models if you need perspective. The base Model Y AWD sits at $41,99990. The Premium version? Forty-nine grand. The L variant sits above them all. It is the king of price tags. Currently at least.
Inside the Cabin
Size matters. Always does. This thing is 7.3 inches longer than the regular Y. Most of that gain comes from the wheelbase stretching by 5.9 inches. Why bother? Humans. Third row passengers. You want actual adults back there not folded pretzels.
The legroom tells the story. Thirty-one point zero inches in the third row. That is a massive jump from the standard seven-seater’s paltry 25.8. You can sit up. You might even have knee space. Oddly enough the second row actually loses room. Thirty-nine point seven inches instead of 41.1. The front row stays put at 41.8. It feels like a trade. And it is one.
Cargo space swells too. Eighty-five point six cubic feet with every seat flat. Thirty-eight cubes when the middle row is up. Still 14.8 behind the kids row. The old seven-seater held 69.4 and 27.1 and 13.1. The L wins every round. The five-seater variant barely keeps up. It loses by a fraction but still trails the L.
Features That Cost Money
Length is not the only upgrade. The interior got fancier. The front seats got adjustable headrests. And thigh support. Real ones. Not plastic sticks. The second row has captain’s chairs that heat and vent. They even have powered armrests. Who uses those? Someone who pays extra money. The third row powers itself now too.
Tech upgrades included. Eighteen speakers blast music through a premium system. Seven USB-C ports keep everyone charged. Full Self-Driving comes with twelve months. You can also discharge the battery to power your campsite. Vehicle to load. Sounds useful. Until the bill comes.
Performance stayed tight. Range hits 325 miles. That is just two miles short of the standard Premium AWD. Acceptable. Speed improved though. Zero to sixty takes 4.4 seconds. The standard Premium AWD needs 4.6. It is quicker. By a hair. Is that enough? Probably not.
Motor1 expects this car will not sell in huge volumes. It costs too much for a crossover. But for buyers who want luxury Tesla finally has a product that threatens its own Model Y. It cannibalizes itself. Deliberately.
We wait and see. Maybe the L stays niche. Maybe it becomes standard. The wheelbase is long either way.
